Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
Find a Recent Sale
Sales Detail
Wonthaggi - Inverloch has an estimated 29,593 residents, up from 26,792 at the 2021 Census — a change of 2,801 people, or 10.5%. Growth has averaged 2.7% a year over five years. 1,118 new addresses have been validated here since Census night. Interstate and internal migration accounts for 85.6% of that increase. Density is about 41 people per square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
AreaSearch analysis places the Wonthaggi - Inverloch population at around 29,593 as of May 2026. That figure is 2,801 people (10.5%) higher than the 2021 Census count of 26,792 people. The estimate draws on the ABS estimated resident population of 29,334 as of June 2025 together with 1,118 validated new addresses recorded since the Census date. At this scale the area has a density of 40 persons per square kilometer, leaving considerable space per resident. Growth of 10.5% since the 2021 census outpaced the Rest of Vic. (4.3%) and the broader SA4 region, positioning Wonthaggi - Inverloch among the stronger growth locations locally.
Interstate migration has been the main driver, accounting for approximately 85.6% of recent overall population gains. AreaSearch applies ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, published in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. Where SA2 coverage is missing, AreaSearch uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted through weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Age-group growth rates from those aggregations are then applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, growth is expected to be exceptional and to rank in the top 10 percent of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with the area forecast to add 12,967 persons to 2041 on the latest annual ERP population numbers, equal to a 42.9% rise in total over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
2,077 new dwellings have been approved in Wonthaggi - Inverloch over the past five years, an average of 415 a year. That places the area in the 91st percentile for residential development activity nationally, about 14 approvals per 1,000 residents a year. Of the 288 dwellings approved in the latest reporting year, 95% were detached houses and the rest townhouses or apartments. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 295, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this SA2 boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Approvals for residential properties in Wonthaggi - Inverloch have averaged around 415 each year, equating to 2,077 homes approved across the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), plus 271 so far in FY-26. With an average of 1.8 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well aligned and conditions look stable, while new dwellings are delivered at an average construction value of $341,000. Commercial development approvals this financial year total $167.2 million, pointing to solid local business investment.
Relative to Rest of Vic., construction activity in Wonthaggi - Inverloch sits somewhat elevated (35.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), which helps maintain buyer choice and supports existing property values even as building activity has eased in recent years. Activity is also substantially higher than the national benchmark, pointing to strong developer confidence in the location. The development mix is 95.0% standalone homes and 5.0% medium and high-density housing, which keeps the low-density character and favours detached stock that appeals to buyers seeking space. Around 93 people per dwelling approval suggests an expanding market. Projections indicate Wonthaggi - Inverloch will gain 12,707 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building is keeping a reasonable pace with that outlook, though rising population may bring greater competition among buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Wonthaggi - Inverloch
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 47 current infrastructure and development projects inside Wonthaggi - Inverloch, worth an estimated $10.2 billion. A further 133 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $32.1 billion. 51 are already under construction and 60 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans communities, precincts & urban renewal, residential development and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure, major projects and planning initiatives can reshape an area's performance more than almost any other factor. AreaSearch has identified 34 projects likely to influence the area. Among the most important are Wonthaggi North East Precinct Structure Plan, Northern Views Estate, Summerfields Estate, and Wonthaggi Hospital Stage 2 Redevelopment, with the list below outlining those expected to matter most.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Summerfields Estate
Masterplanned residential community in Wonthaggi being delivered in multiple stages. The estate includes approximately 450 residential lots together with landscaped open space, wetlands, walking trails and community areas. Construction and staged land releases have continued with further subdivision activity recorded.
Wonthaggi North East Precinct Structure Plan
A comprehensive urban expansion structure plan covering 633 hectares in Wonthaggi North East. The plan unlocks 444 hectares of residential land to deliver up to 5,000 homes for 12,000 new residents, along with town centres, primary schools, sports reserves, and community facilities.
Wonthaggi North East Precinct Structure Plan
A 633-hectare precinct plan gazetted in January 2024 and further refined through Amendment C172basc in November 2025. The project facilitates the long-term growth of Wonthaggi from 8,000 to 20,000 residents, delivering approximately 5,000 dwellings and 61 hectares of commercial land. Infrastructure includes a new primary school, two community centres, sports reserves, and an extensive 90-hectare open space network with linear trails connecting to the Bass Coast Rail Trail.
Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion Stage 2 & 3
Planning and delivery of subsequent expansion stages for Wonthaggi Hospital under the Victorian Hospital Infrastructure Delivery Fund. The project includes a new birthing complex, expanded inpatient bed capacity, a new outpatient clinic, and modernized health infrastructure to serve Bass Coast and South Gippsland.
Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion - Stage 2
Stage 2 redevelopment of Wonthaggi Hospital delivering a new birthing complex, new outpatient clinic, expanded Emergency Department, and additional inpatient treatment beds to serve the growing Bass Coast Shire population.
Bass Coast Health Staff Accommodation Facility
A new two-storey development providing 20 self-contained rooms for healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, medical specialists, and allied health staff, with communal and outdoor living areas. Built on hospital grounds next to Kirrak House residential aged care facility to address accommodation shortages, attract and retain skilled workers, and support hospital operations by reducing reliance on rentals and hotels.
Wonthaggi Activity Centre Streetscape Master Plan
Comprehensive urban streetscape revitalisation of central Wonthaggi, introducing greening along Graham Street, protected bike lanes, pedestrian prioritisation, and smart city infrastructure.
Former Wonthaggi Secondary College Site Redevelopment
A major urban renewal project transforming the vacant 1.8-hectare disused school site in central Wonthaggi into a multi-use community precinct featuring a Knowledge Centre/library, Arts & Cultural Centre, Discovery Centre, key worker and social housing, and local commercial space.
12,886 residents of Wonthaggi - Inverloch are employed, from a labour force of 13,343. Unemployment sits at 3.4%, with participation at 53.4%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.4% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The workforce in Wonthaggi - Inverloch is skilled, with essential services sectors well represented, unemployment at only 3.4%, and estimated employment growth of 4.0% over the past year. As of March 2026, 12,886 residents are employed, and unemployment sits 0.3% below Regional Vic.'s rate of 3.7%, while workforce participation is markedly lower (53.4% against Regional Vic.'s 61.1%). Census responses show a moderate 18.2% of residents working from home, though Covid-19 lockdown effects should be kept in mind. Among residents, the main employment industries are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.
Construction is a local specialisation, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. Manufacturing, by contrast, is under-represented at only 5.1% of Wonthaggi - Inverloch's workforce versus 7.7% in Regional Vic.. Local job openings appear limited when Census working population is compared with the resident population. AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data shows that over the 12-month period employment rose by 4.0% and the labour force by 3.4%, lifting unemployment down by 0.6 percentage points. Regional Vic., by comparison, saw employment fall by 0.1%, the labour force fall by 0.3%, and unemployment ease by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide further context on possible future demand in Wonthaggi - Inverloch. Those five- and ten-year projections have been aligned with the local employment profile to outline growth patterns. National employment is expected to rise by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though sector outcomes vary widely. Weighting those industry-specific forecasts to Wonthaggi - Inverloch's employment mix points to local employment rising by 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Wonthaggi - Inverloch is $1,154 a week (about $60,000 a year), with median personal income at $618 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $45,791 a year against an average of $57,424. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
According to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023, income levels in the Wonthaggi - Inverloch SA2 sit below the national average. Median taxpayer income is $45,791 and average income is $57,424, against Regional Vic. figures of $50,954 and $62,728 respectively. Applying Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates as of March 2026 are approximately $50,196 (median) and $62,948 (average). Census 2021 income data place household, family and personal incomes in Wonthaggi - Inverloch between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally.
The $400 - 799 earnings band accounts for 27.0% of the community (7,990 individuals), unlike regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 category leads at 30.3%. After housing costs, 85.8% of income remains, a result that still sits at only the 13th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Wonthaggi - Inverloch had 11,074 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 93% detached houses and 1% apartments. 30% are owned with a mortgage, 21% rented and 49% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $298 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,467 a month. Rent absorbs 25.8% of household income here and mortgage repayments 29.3%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the latest Census, dwelling stock in Wonthaggi - Inverloch was 92.8% houses and 7.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), versus Regional Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership was well above the Regional Vic. level at 49.2%, with remaining dwellings mortgaged (30.1%) or rented (20.7%). Median monthly mortgage repayments sat above the Regional Vic. average at $1,467, while median weekly rent was $298, compared with Regional Vic.'s $1,430 and $285. Against national benchmarks, Wonthaggi - Inverloch mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Wonthaggi - Inverloch counted 11,074 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 12,232 today, averaging 2.2 people each. 21% are couples with children, fewer than in 83% of areas nationally, against 34% couples without children. 32% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.9 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Family households account for 65.5% of all households, made up of 21.3% couples with children, 33.8% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households form the other 34.5%, including lone person households at 32.0% and group households at 2.5% of the total. Median household size is 2.2 people, below the Regional Vic. average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
20.5% of adults in Wonthaggi - Inverloch hold a university qualification, including 13.7% with a bachelor degree and 3.5% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 27.9% hold a vocational qualification. 15 schools serve the area, with 3,513 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 996 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Educational attainment presents challenges, with university qualification rates at 20.5%, substantially below the VIC average of 33.4%. That gap is both a constraint and a basis for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common tertiary award at 13.7%, ahead of postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways are strong among residents aged 15+, with 39.3% holding trade and technical credentials – advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (27.9%). Some 24.2% of the population is engaged in formal education. That includes 9.3% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 2.4% in tertiary study.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Wonthaggi - Inverloch reaches 134 stops on 11 routes, timetabled for about 440 services a week. The typical home sits about 420 m from its nearest stop. Households keep an average of 1.4 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Analysis of public transport shows 134 active transport stops operating within Wonthaggi - Inverloch. Eleven individual routes serve these stops and together deliver 438 weekly passenger trips. Accessibility is rated moderate, with residents typically 416 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a largely residential area, most people commute outward, with car the dominant mode at 93% and walking at 4%. Average vehicle ownership is 1.4 per dwelling. Some 18.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions). Across all routes, service frequency averages 62 trips per day, or about 3 weekly trips per individual stop.
The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
60.0% of residents in Wonthaggi - Inverloch report no long-term health condition. 7.4% need daily assistance with core activities, and 47.6% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.2 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
AreaSearch assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence points to significant health challenges in Wonthaggi - Inverloch, with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and private health cover very low at approximately 48% of the total population (~14,086 people). That compares with 50.5% across Regional Vic.. The national average is 55.7%. Arthritis and mental health issues were the most common medical conditions, affecting 11.6 and 9.3% of residents respectively, while 60.0% reported no medical ailments compared with 63.4% across Regional Vic.. Working-age residents show elevated chronic condition rates and notable health pressures.
Residents aged 65 and over make up 29.9% of the population (8,842 people), above the 23.9% figure in Regional Vic.. Senior health outcomes present some challenges, with national rankings broadly consistent with the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Wonthaggi - Inverloch is largely Australian-born, at 84.7% of residents, with 4.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (32.8%) and Australian (28.9%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity in Wonthaggi - Inverloch sits below average, with 84.7% of the population born in Australia, 89.6% citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion, accounting for 43.6% of people in Wonthaggi - Inverloch. The clearest overrepresentation is in Judaism, at 0.1% of the population, matching 0.1% across Regional Vic.. By ancestry (country of birth of parents), the three largest groups in Wonthaggi - Inverloch are English at 32.8% of the population, Australian at 28.9%, and Scottish at 9.4%. Other groups show notable differences: Dutch is overrepresented at 2.5% of Wonthaggi - Inverloch (vs 1.7% regionally), Italian at 4.1% (vs 2.9%), and Irish at 9.3% (vs 9.7%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Wonthaggi - Inverloch is 50, older than 92% of areas nationally. That is 1 year younger than at the 2021 Census. 18.8% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The median age in Wonthaggi - Inverloch is 50, notably higher than Regional Vic. at 43 and well above the national average of 38. The 65 - 74 age group is strongly represented at 16.9% relative to Regional Vic., while the 15 - 24 cohort is thinner at 9.3%. That 65 - 74 share is well above the national 9.4%. Since the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has risen from 8.3% to 9.3% of the population. By contrast, the 45 to 54 cohort has fallen from 11.8% to 10.5% and the 55 to 64 group from 15.9% to 14.9%.
Demographic modelling points to a substantial shift in the age profile by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand markedly, rising by 2,074 people (74%) from 2,802 to 4,877.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Wonthaggi - Inverloch
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the SA2 boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 this month all 98 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 1,118 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (26,792 at the 2021 Census → 29,593 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to May 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (205031093). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.